After you craft your research question, answer it. Your answer is your thesis statement.
When you first set out to do research, you have a research question in mind that you want to investigate. That question guides your research and determines which books, articles and websites you explore. As you read, keep an open mind and allow your research to modify your original research question as necessary.
Your preliminary research will help you better understand your topic, refine your research question and develop your working thesis. Take a look at the sources you’ve gathered and your notes; these will help you to alter your research question and draft your thesis. You’ll find that research has probably done one of three things to your working thesis:
- Contradicted it
- Modified it
- Confirmed it
